VOL. 69, NO. 8
WWW.CROOKSTON.ORG
April 22, 2015
Missionaries in our midst
OMI’s seek to bring face of Christ to those they serve at White Earth Reservation By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND WAUBUN, MINN. — There are nearly 4,000 Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate serving in almost 70 countries throughout the world. More than 300 priests and brothers serve in various roles throughout the United States. Two of those priests are located in the Diocese of Crookston on the White Earth Reservation. Father John Cox and Father Joseph Hitpas serve as pastors for six parishes in the diocese. Father Cox is pastor of St. Ann, Waubun; St. Frances Cabrini, Big Elbow Lake; and St. Anne, Nay Tah Waush. Father Hitpas is pastor of Most Holy Redeemer, Ogema; St. Benedict, White Earth; and St. Theodore, Ponsford.
A FACE OF CHRIST IN THE WORLD “We are a Roman Catholic community of priests and brothers, and we’re dedicated to spreading God’s love in the world,” said Father Cox. “While people of wealth and moderate means have needs and we serve them as well, our particular care and concern is for the poor and marginalized. … They don’t have other resources to get their needs met.” The Oblates seek to meet those needs through collaboration with men and women of all faiths. “Any oblate anywhere in the world would say that our charism is to bring the good news to people who have not yet received it, and where the church is already established, our commitment is to those it touches least,” he added. “We’re in many places in the United States,” Father Cox said. “We’re in those places that are
INSIDE VOL. 69, NO. 8:
Father John Cox and Father Joseph Hitpas, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, pose for a photo at St. Ann’s, Waubun, one of six parishes served by the missionary priests. (Photo credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)
most in need, hence the White Earth Reservation.” According to Father Cox, serving the White Earth Reservation is a little different from some other reservations because it is considered an open reservation. “Among the people we serve
are people who are not of Native ethnicity,” he said, “We’re here primarily to build bridges between Native Americans and all others and to be a face of Christ to Native peoples that have a compelling, often heartwrenching, story. … Many remain in particular need of heal-
Pg. 3 - World Meeting of Families Catechesis Series Pg. 6 - World Day of Prayer for Vocations Ideas Pg. 8 - Diocesan Financial Report
ing, love, and affirmation … We have a big heart for that.” “I think you would find this in any parish, but especially in rural, smaller parishes, you’re going to find people who have needs,” said Father Hitpas. “There aren’t always a lot of resources available and so I think we see our mission as doing the best we can to meet their needs.” The Tekakwitha Center at St. Ann’s, Waubun, is one of their ministries that aims to help young people and families in the parishes they serve. The center serves as a base for the religious education program for all six mission parishes. Religious education classes for children in Kindergarten through high school are held each Wednesday. “Presently we have about 100 kids registered in the program,” said Father Cox. St. Ann’s is a convenient location since the junior high and high school are located directly across the street. The younger students ride a bus from the elementary school in Ogema. Classes for the younger grades take place right after school and the older students start at 6 p.m. The Oblates serve a light supper between the two class times for those who wish to stay or come early. “The purpose of the Tekakwitha Center, in a broader sense, is faith development,”
said Father Hitpas. “We also use some of the resources there to train catechists and do some adult education.” Part of their mission as Oblates is to work in collaboration with others to serve the poor. One program that the priests have been a part of in the Waubun area is a joint effort among the Oblates, the United Church of Christ and the Lutheran Church in Waubun to meet people’s practical needs. “We had evidence that many of the kids in our school system here have insufficient nutrition at home, and the vast majority of them qualify for free federal lunch, so there is some documentation of their need,” said Father Cox. “There was other evidence that really the only nutritional meals they were getting were at school.” The clergy association, working with the North Country Food Bank in Crookston has been able to provide monthly food supplements to children through a backpack program at the school. “Right now we’ve targeted 50 kids in our school system, who according to their records, are most in need,” said Father Cox. “At the present time our resources only permit us to provide this food supplement once a month. Our organization is very young. We’re trying to build our base of support and hopefully in time we’ll be able to increase the numbers of distributions and the number of people who receive, but we thought that was a good beginning.” “That’s a good example of … looking out for those most in need and doing it in a collaborative way,” said Father Hitpas. OBLATES: Continued on Page 7
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